As Afghanistan gears up for this year’s T20 World Cup, optimism surrounds the team following their impressive performance at the 50-over World Cup in India. Winning four out of nine league games and coming close to reaching the semi-finals has bolstered their confidence.
Jonathan Trott, who witnessed the team’s remarkable run and has extended his contract as head coach until the T20 World Cup, believes that Afghanistan has the potential to defeat any team. However, he acknowledges the need for improvements, particularly in their batting consistency, as they currently trail 0-2 in the series.
In a recent statement, Trott emphasized the importance of building partnerships and maintaining a higher strike rate in the middle overs. He said, “We need our in batters going into the last 10 [overs]. We have seen how hard it is to stop in batters in the last five overs.” Trott highlighted the team’s contrasting performances, citing their ability to score 110 runs in the last 10 overs in Mohali but struggling to maintain momentum in the middle overs in Indore.
Reflecting on Afghanistan’s recent series against UAE, Trott noted that while the team showed glimpses of brilliance, there were inconsistencies in their performance. He emphasized the importance of a positive build-up to the T20 World Cup, drawing parallels to their preparation for the 50-over World Cup with the Asia Cup and bilateral series in 2023. He said, “We haven’t played a lot of T20 cricket recently. As a side we sort of take a while to get going with rhythm. We saw ourselves build up towards the 50-over World Cup with the Asia Cup and the series before that. That’s what I am looking to build up here.”
Trott expressed confidence in Afghanistan’s bowling department but stressed the need for consistent improvement in their batting to become a formidable side in international cricket. He added, “As a side we are fully aware of our stats against the world’s best in batting. In the bowling [department], we are pretty good. We always want to improve on our bowling but with batting there are a few areas to improve consistently, if we want to become that tougher side that competes day in and day out.”
With upcoming matches in Bengaluru, Sri Lanka, and Sharjah, Trott aims to address Afghanistan’s batting challenges and build a cohesive and competitive team ahead of the T20 World Cup. He said, “We’re sort of getting better in parts. Hopefully tomorrow [Wednesday] we can get it together.”
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